Brake-beam fourth-point support and safety device for clasp brakes



5 Oct. 28, 1930. L. s. MILLER 1,

BRAKE BEAM FOURTH POINT SUPPORT AND SAFETY DEVICE FOR CLA SP BRAKES 2Sheets-Sheet Filed May 4, 1927 0a. 28, 1930. L, G MILLER 1780,03)

BRAKE BEAM FOURTH POINT SUPPORT AND SAFETY DEVICE FOR CLASP BRAKES FiledMay 4, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Law 6. fllillzlr- TTORN PatentedOct. 28, 1930 LOUIS e. MILLER; or nnTnnnnnizr;rinnvsYnvmvm, nssreivon5'10 BETHLEHEM STEEL conr mr' I .i

' ismxn nnm ronnTn-rom'r SUPPORT AND SAFETY nnvronron otnsnnnsicrsstsunami-Ileana, 1927.; Serial No.,;1 88,647V 1 My invention relates tobrake mechanism for car trucks and more particularly to trucks of thefour wheel type, on which clasp-brakes are used, wherein the brakes areforced upon 5 oppositesides of thetread of each of its four wheelssimultaneously;

One of the objects of my invention relates more especially to trussedbreak-beams and four point suspension for supporting the mbrake-beamsat, their intermediate points.

The features constituting the four pointsus pension consists, inaddition to the customary. link or hangers, not shown, WlllCll areconnect ed to brake-beam heads and attached to the 5 truck side framesin the usual well known manner, of two pairs of track-bars, each pairhaving their ends secured to the spring plank and extending outwardlytherefrom under theaxles and supported at the outer ends by bracketssecured to the. ends of the truck frame. Each pair of track-bars haveways j thereon to engage two brake-beams at opposite sides of the strutsor brake lever postsand these waysare formed at suitable angles to.receive, support and guide the truss-rods of thebeams at their endportions, during the movement of the brake-beams so as to assure acorrect positioning of the brake-beams and maintain a concentricrelationof the work, ing faces of the brake-shoes to the treadof the carwheels, both in the service application of said shoes to the wheels andtheirrelease therefrom under all'conditions as to thewear of either theshoes or wheels or both thereof.

and supporting the truss-rods of the brakebeams at theirintermediate'points, said chairs vention Another object of my invention.consistsin', securing the track-bars to the spring-plank in such amanner that they will .be held se-" curely in their operative position,but can be easily removed or replaced on thetruckatofa cilitate the moreeasy removal and replace" ment of the brack-beams without the reJ movalof rivets, bolts, cotter-pinsor the like,

. A further object of my invention resides in.

securing chairs to the track-:barson the ways] on each side of both oftheaxles for receiving.

' beams.v The chairs are slidably mounted on the slide-ways,but areeachpermanentlyse- 100' being free to slide onthe waysof the trackbarmembers but permanently secured therereference indicate like parts:'

Fig. 1 is a top plan viewillustrating my improved four point suspensionin full lines asap plied to'a clasp-brake rigging, and showing enough ofthe adjacent portions of'the truck to illustrate the application ofmy'in- Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line IIH of F 1;showingparts'jof' the track-bars broken away to more clearly illus-"trate the construction; I

Fig. 3 is av sectional detaiLtaken on the 7 line IIIIII of Fig. 2showing more clearly the manner of securing the end of one of thetrack-bars to the spring-plank; Fig. i is a transverse section of one ofthe chairs. illustrating the manner of secur ing the chairs on thetrack-bars and,

Fig. '5 is a detail of one of the brackets which are secured tothefends'of thetruck frames forsupporting the outer. ends of thetrack-bars. I p I Referring now to'the charactersof refer- -'ence,,o thenumeral 10 indicates the springplank, 11 the brake-beams, eachcomprising a truss-rod or tension member 12, compression member 13, andstrut 14, each adapted to take the usual brake-lever, not shown. Thesebrake-beams are disposed as is the usual case when clasp-brakes are.used on each side of "the, tread of thewheel normally slightly below thecentral horizontal line of the axles as will be clearly understood byreferring j to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. 1 y

Each pair of brake-beamsis supported on each side ofthe struts by meansof track-bars 15, formed withinclined slide-wayslG, slotted as at 17toreceivethe lugs 18 offchairs 19, having sockets formed therein as at'20 for engaging the truss-rods 12 of the brake cured to the track-bars15 by means of a rivet 21 which passes through the lugs and is securedthereto. The inner ends 22 of the track-bars 15 are removably sup ortedby keepers 23 which are secured to the springplank 10, bymeans of rivets24, while the opposite ends of the track-bars are supported by means ofbrackets 25, attached to the end frames 2.6 Of the truck by means ofrivets 27. In order to hold the track-bars in their normal position andrevent longitudinal movement,-each trackar is offset near its inner andouter ends as at 28 and 29 respectively. The track-bars 15 are also heldin position by the weight of the brake-beams which prevents normally anyvertical movement of the track-bars at their outer ends which aresupported by the brackets 25.

In operation the brake-beam tension membets rest in the sockets on thesliding chairs which can move freely longitudinally on the slide-wa s.These chairs sliding on the in clined slide-ways maintain thebrake-shoes in a concentric position with relation to the tread of thewheels at all times. In case of failure of brake-beams or hangers thetrackbars prevent the beams from falling on the it is desired to removethe brake-bea1ns, one or both of the brake-beams can be removed'afterhangers and other attachments are disconnected by raising the ends oftrackbars which rest on the brackets 25 above the upwardly extendingprojection 30 of the brackets and moving them over sidewise until thetrack-bars are free of the brackets.

They can then be lowered to disenga e the' brake beams and are thenmoved longitudinally" chairs from the truss-rods of the until they arefree from the keepers, after which they can be lowered permitting thetached from the truck frame without removlike.

ing bolts, rivets, pins or cotter-pins or the Although I have shown anddescribed my invention in considerable detail, I do not wish to belimited to the exact and specific details shown and described, but mayuse such substitutions, modifications or equivalents thereof as areembraced within the scope of my invention or as pointed out in theclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: p

1. In a fourth point support for claspbrakes, "comprising a centrallymounted spring-plank and end frames, track-bars having their endssupported by the springplank and end frames oppositely down wardlyinclined slotted slide-ways formed on the track-bars, a chair slidablymounted on each slide-way adapted to support the brakebeams atintermediate points, a lug formed integral with the chair extendingthrough the slots in the track-bar, and a rivet extending through thelug formed on the chair for securing the chair permanently to thetrack-bars.

2. In a fourth point support for claspbrake-beams, comprising a truckframe having a centrally disposed spring-plank and endframes, ,a pair oftrack-bars mounted on each side of the spring-plank and removablysecured to thespring-plank and end frames, each of said track-barshaving an arc-shaped central portion adapted to extend under the caraxles, slotted slide-way portions extending downwardly from each centralareshaped portion of the track-bars, chairs movably mounted on theslide-way for supportin the brake-beams, lugs formed integral with thechairsextending through the slots in the slide-ways, rivets extendingthrough the lugs for permanently securing the movable chairs to t thetrack-bars to prevent longitudinal movement of the track-bars.

3. In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a track-barsecured to the truck frame having a central arc-shaped portion withdownwardly extending slotted slide-ways formed on each side of the saidcentral'portion, chairs mova'oly mounted on the slotted slide-ways, andabutments formed 'on the track-bars to prevent longitudinal pp movementsof the track-bars.

4. In a fourth point support for brakebeams secured to the truck frame,comprising track-bars each having a central arc-shaped portion adaptedto extend under the axle of the car truck, downwardly extending slottedslide-ways formed on each side of the arcshaped' central portion,movable chairs permanently secured to the slotted slide-way portions ofthe track-bars, and abutmcnts formed near each end'of the track-bars tonormall prevent longitudinal movement of V the trac -bars.

- 5. In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a plurality oftrack-bars arranged in pairs on each side of a centrally locatedspring-plank and supported by the spring-plank and the end frames of thetruck, said track-bars each having a central areshaped ortion adapted toextend under the' axles o the car truck, downwardly extending slottedslide-ways formed on each side of the arc-shaped central portion,movable chairs permanently secured to the slotted slide-way portions ofthe track-bars, and abutments formed near each end of the trackgar barsto normally prevent longitudinal 1novetion; i

7. In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a truck-framehaving end frames and a centrally mounted spring plank, track-bars eachhaving a' central portion with downwardly inclined slide-ways,

, said track-bars having their inner ends slidably secured to thespring-plank and their outer ends seated in brackets secured to the endframes, and trussed brake-beams having brake-shoes for engaging theopposite sides of the tread of the wheels, and adapted to be supportedat an intermediate point on the slide-Waysand retain the track-bars inposition. a

8. Ina fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a truck-framehaving. end

frames and a centrally mounted spring plank, track-bars each having acentral portion with downwardly inclined slide-ways, movable chairspermanently attached to the slide-ways, said track-bars having theirinner ends slidab ly secured to the spring-plank and their outer endsseated in brackets attached to the end frames, trussed brake-beamshaving brake-shoes for engaging the opposite sides of the tread of thewheels and adapted to be supported at an intermediate point by thechairsmounted on the slide-ways, and means unattached thereto forholding the track-bars inposition.

9.'In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a truck-framehaving end frames and a centrally mounted springplank, track-bars eachhaving a plurality of,

slide-ways formed thereon extending between the spring-plank and endframes, means on the spring-plank and end frames for holding theopposite ends of the track-bars unattached thereto, and brake-beamssupported at an intermediate point on the slide-ways of the track-barsfor retaining the track-bars in position. I

10. In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising atruck framehaving a spring plank and end frames, track-bars each havlng anarc-shaped central portion with downwardly inclined slotted slide-waysand straight horizontally disposed ends removably supported on thespring-plank and end frames, an offset formed in the track-bars betweeneach of the inclined slide-ways and the straight end portions, chairsmovably mounted on theslide-Ways and permanently secured thereto, and.trussed brake-beams mounted upon the track-bars and supported at theirintermediate points by the chairs.

11. In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a truck frameprovided with a spring-plank and end frames, trackbars, means unattachedto the track-bars for removably securing the opposite ends of thetrack-bars to the spring-plank and end frames, each of said track-barshaving an arc-shaped central portion and downwardly inclined slide-wayintermediate portions, a chair permanently secured to each oftheslidevway portions, and brake-beams supported at their intermediatepoints bythe chairs.

12. 111 a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a truck framehaving end frames and a centrally disposed spring-plank, a pair ofunattached track-bars mounted on each side'of the spring-plank andremovably secured to the spring-plank and end frames, each of saidtrack-bars having a central areshaped portion adapted to extend underthecar axle, slide-way portions extending downwardly from the centralarc-shaped portion of the track-bars, a chair permanently secured to andslidably mounted on each of the slide-ways, and brake-beams supportedat'intermediate points by the chairs.

13. In a fourth point support for brake- I beams, comprising atruck-frame having end frames and a centrally disposed spring-plank, apair of unattached track-bars slidably mounted on each side of thespring-plank and removably secured to the spring-plank and end frames,each of said track-bars having a central arc-shaped portion adapted toextend under the car axle and having slotted slide-way portionsextending downwardly from each central portion of the track-bars, 7chairs movably mounted on the slide-ways,

lugs formed integral with the chairs adapted to extend through the slotsformed in the slide-way portions, means attached to, the

lugs for permanently securing the movabble chairs to the track-bars, andbrake-beams sup-' ported at intermediate points by the chairs.

1 In a fourth point support for brakebeams, comprising a truck-framehaving end frames and a centrally disposed spring-plank,

a pair of unattached track-bars secured to the truck-frame each having acentral arc-shaped "portion with downwardly extending slotted slide-waysformed on each side of the said central portion, chairs movably mountedon the slotted slide-ways, offsets formed onthe track-bars to preventlongitudinal movement of the track-bars, and brake-beams supported atintermediate points by the chairs and adapted by their weight tonormally prevent vertical movement of the track-bars.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

LOUIS e. MILLER.

